Means for fixing buttons to belt-clasps and to certain other articles.



W. F. GAUNT.

MEANS FOR FIXING BUTTONS T0 BELT CLASPS AND TO CERTAIN OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3. 1914.

l 1 92,4 14; Patented July 25,1916.

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-WALTELR Farmers GAUN'I, or BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR FIXING BUTTONS TO BELT-OLASPS AND TO CERTAIN OTHER ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Latent.

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Application filed September 3, 1914. Serial No. 860,818.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VVALTEP. FRANCIS GAUNT, of 12 Frederick street, inthe city of Birmingham, England, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain,have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Means for FixingButtons to Belt-Clasps and to Certain other Articles; and I do hereby doclare that the following is. a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

This invention has reference to improved means'for fixing military andnaval buttons and ornaments to belt clasps and certain other articlessuch for instance asbrooches, waist belt plates, badges, hat pin heads,tobacco boxes, cigar ash trays, paper knife handles, swagger cane headsand other souvenir articles, and the like.

The kind of military and naval buttons and other, like buttons'withwhich my invention is adaptedto be used are those of the usual kindfurnished with a necked attachment shank usually formed of a piece ofwire which is bent into a somewhat circular loop. with a narrow neck,the two end portions of the wire forming the loop being closed togetherand forming said narrow neck close to the back of the button. In somebuttons the necked shank of a sheet of metal blank is pierced with oneor two holes for the thread.

When a belt clasp or other said article is constructed and fitted withmy invention it is only necessary to place and press the button into arecess in the belt clasp or other said article, and then the button isby the special means which I provide at the back of the front plate ofthe said belt clasp or other article, automatically and firmly securedand cannot turn in the said recess.

My invention is comprised in the improved means of securing the shank ofthe button to the belt clasp or other article by means of a springmember, preferably formed of wire or sheet metal, the said springv clipmember having two gripping arms located in relation to the slot in thebelt clasp or other article, so that when the shank of the button isforced between said arms the latter are sprungapart, then spring backand grip the shank preventing acci dental withdrawal of the buttonretaining the latter from turning in its mount. For full comprehension,however, of my invention reference must be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, in which similarreference characters indicate the same parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of. .a form of belt clasp and mount. Fig.2 is asectional view of the means disclosed in Fig. 1; F ig.

3 is a front elevation and section of the'improved construction of theback or cover plate illustrated separately from the belt clasp andmount; F a is .a view similar to Fig. 1 with the button removed andillustrating a modified construction of spring clip member; Fig. 5illustrates a spring clip member formed from a sheet metal blank and ofsimilar contour to the member shown in Fig. 4%. Fig. 6 illustratesanother modification of the spring clip member.

.Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 the front plate A of the belt clasp Bis stamped with a circular recess O of the proper size for the back partof the button D to fit in, and in the plate A at the center of thisrecess C there is a rectangular slot E of the proper size to admit ofthe passage of the looped shank F of the button D so that the said shankwill project at the back of the slot E.

Fixed in a cavity at the'back of the recessed front plate A, I provide atwo armed Wire or other metal clip member G the spring arms G of whichextend across the slot E so that when the button shank F is inserted andpressed in to the slot the round ed sides of the button shank will forcethe two spring arms G apart until, when the preference made of a pieceof wire bent into a partially ring like form with the end portions G ofthe wire turned inwardly approximately parallel with and at a short dis-'tance from the diameter of the ring, the

ring being soldered or otherwise fixed in the 1 cavity A at the back ofthe front A of the belt clasp so that the two comparatively straight endportions G of the wire form the spring arms of the clip as aforesaid.

The back of the cavity is closed by a cover plate H formed with a domedcentral portion H and countersunk holes H and a deand to prevent thesaid clip from moving out of position should it become detached from theplate A. The front plate A may be formed with a hook J to connect withthe loop of the other part ofthe belt clasp.

. Referring now to Figs. & and 5, which illustrate a modified form ofclip member G, the member illustrated in Fig. 5 being formed from, asheet-metal blank. spring arms G are bent at G to form a recess Gradapted to receive the shank F of the button and to prevent the shankfrom turning when gripped bythe arms. This construction of spring isemployed in combination with a front plate having a circular centralopening K therein through which the shank of the button passes and itwill be understood upon' reference to Fig. 4: that the button isprevented from turning by the recesses G formed in the clip member G.

It will be understood without further description that my invention canbe equally well applied to fixing buttons on brooches, hat pin heads,tobacco boxes, cigar ash trays,

paper knife handles, swagger cane heads or other souvenir articles, in asimilar manner to that above described in relation to waist belt clasps.

If desired without departing from the spirit of my invention'the springclips may consist of a pair of resilient wires, extending parallel tothe slot E and having their op posite ends soldered or otherwisefastened as at M to therear side of the front plate A. The clipsconstituted by these wires will The or mount having a recess adapted toreceive a button, a slot in'the recessed portion of the plate adapted toreceive the shank of the button, a cover or backplate secured to thefront plate and having a'domed central portion to accommodate the shank,and a clip member located between the plates and consisting of a strandof wire bent. to present oortions intersectin the said slot and ada ated to grip the shank of a button through the slot. I

2. Means for fixing buttons to belt clasps or other articles of the kindherein referred to, comprising in combination a front plate or mounthaving a recess adapted to receive inserted a button, a slot in therecessed portion of the plate adapted to receive the shank of thebutton, a cover or backplate secured to the front plate and having adomed central portion to accommodate the shank, and a clip memberlocated between the plates and consisting of a strand of wire bent topresent portions intersecting the said slot, such portions beingrecessed and adapted to partially encircle and grip the shank of abutton in-,

serted through the slot.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two witnesses.

"WALTER FRANCIS GAUNTQ I fVVitnesses: I t

Enuns'r HARPER,

STELLA .BENSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 1

